Forgotten Wonderland
by thegirlwhowondered
Summary: My (possibly AU but hey, we'll never know) take on the magician Coriakin's mysterious past, told through the eyes of his apprentice (an OC I made up - expect stories about her soon). I love writing about Coriakin, because we know so little about him and his life. Any kind of summary would give away all the surprises, so you'll have to read and find out! Mix of bookverse/movieverse.


"_Hey. Do you mind if I tell you a story? One you might not have heard. All the elements in your body were forged many many millions of years ago in the heart of a faraway star that exploded and died. That explosion scattered those elements across the desolations of deep space. After so, so many millions of years, these elements came together to form new stars and new planets. And on and on it went. The elements came together and burst apart, forming shoes and ships and sealing wax and cabbages and kings. Until, eventually, they came together to make you. You are unique in the universe."_

It's a little known secret how the island under the ownership of the magician Coriakin came to be the picturesque paradise it is today; why so few live there, and how come the magician minds it all on his own.

It used to be unbelievably grander, long ago. This was during a time when the world was young and carefree, and beings of all magical backgrounds coexisted harmoniously.

It isn't up to magic-less mortals to understand the differences between, say, a wizard and a warlock; a fairy and a pixie; a witch and a sorcerer. But if you want to grasp anything that will follow, you must understand that the differences are there, and they play a big role in dividing the magical community.

Once upon a safe little haven, these differences mattered to no one. There was but one place above all in the world where all these wonderfully gifted beings could live or visit, where they would be safe from persecution and exploitation. It was so secret that this place was never given a name. But to those who reaped the benefits of its existence, it is simply called "home".

This incredible place was ruled by a wise old magician named Taian. Please don't get him confused with some hocus-pocus, magic-out-of-a-hat fake you may pass in the marketplace. A true magician is a gifted magic user of immense power, wisdom and logic. The Seven – a group of elite magicians who are undisputedly the most talented in their field – are some of the most knowledgeable and mighty of all living beings. They are greatly respected among their magical peers.

But even they can't hold a candle to Taian, who was perhaps one of the most loved people to ever exist. He was a magnificent and fair ruler. He walked among his people every day, determined to know each by name and face. He was kind, clever, and very much a father to all.

His land lasted for an estimated many thousand years; a remarkably long time, even for someone of his immeasurable skill. Most believed that the kingdom – and the king himself, although Taian never accepted such a title – would last forever. But it was not to be.

For you see, Taian had a younger brother, Tiran, who matched his older sibling's proficiency in naught but hatred. He'd grown cold and angry over the years, living in bitterness about Taian's success. Tiran spent many, many, many years working up his own skill to take out his brother and claim the throne he believed was so rightfully his.

At the beginning of his reign, Taian had two young apprentices; Coriakin and Silfaen. Both began their study of magic at the same time, and had worked under Taian's tutelage until they earned their own respective places as magicians. They were similar in skill and attitude, except for one small aspect. Silfaen was far more acrimonious than his counterpart. All because of his gift, he'd sadly outlived his wife and three children. As time went on, he continued to outlive generation after generation, until he had no choice but to convince himself that he cared for no one. He may have gone mad otherwise. Some speculate that it was too late for him anyway.

As Tiran readied to attack this beloved makeshift nation, millions swore their unwavering allegiance to Taian, but he turned each and every one of them down. He claimed that this was his war to fight, and win or lose, he would not risk innocent lives.

Soon enough, the kingdom was evacuated, save for Taian and his two most loyal subjects. Try as he might, he could not get either Coriakin or Silfaen to leave him.

A battle ensued that I couldn't describe if I had a trillion dictionaries in a trillion languages at my disposal. But in it, both brothers destroyed themselves and the kingdom fell, into the hands of despair. The ruins now, beautiful though they may be, are nothing compared to the glory they once held.

In the war, aside from the brothers, another died. The ever-loyal Coriakin had sustained a fatal blow during the fight, knocking the life out of him in the saddest and most literal sense. It was an indescribable act of bravery; one that would both earn him the greatest honour, and come back around to take it all away.

Have you ever wondered what a star is? Because it's so much more than a ball of gas. No mere cloud could shine as beautifully as the nighttime stars do. They are illuminated by the very souls of the most pure and brave people to have lived and acted on these remarkable traits – or so it is said. As the legend goes, Coriakin was granted this high honour as a reward for his actions, but had it stripped and was forced to serve a sentence for those very same actions. See, in saving his beloved mentor, the magician did something so unspeakably felonious that it brought the very way of the world to a standstill, and outshone all the good he ever did in his wonderful life.

You may be wondering what crimes a star can commit. Sadly this is a question I cannot answer. It is up to no one but Aslan and the star himself to understand this. All we can do is believe in our heart of hearts that doing the very worst was for the very best.

And as for his sentence, Coriakin was made to guard over the island that now serves as a veil for the forgotten wonderland, and look after a few of the less intelligent survivors. Duffers, they call themselves. Magic in their own right, but the poor beings are so stupid, they hardly even know they have it.

This story is one that must never be told, of a place that must never be found. Ever since it fell, a rift has been torn among the magic users of this world. It is infinitely imperative that this lost world stays lost, because lost though it may be, the remnants are still there. Even in their degenerative state, they still hold hope for many, and it is believed that one day, when it is needed most, a new ruler will rise and rebuild what once was.


End file.
